Tree pruning is an ongoing task which is required for several reasons, such as maintaining power line clearances, aesthetic reasons or to eliminate diseased limbs. Because of the magnitude of this tree pruning task, there are currently available a multitude of devices to remove limbs or to cut down entire trees. Among these are traditional pruning saws, long-handled shears which lop off smaller branches, and electric and gasoline engine powered chain saws. Most of the pruning tools currently available require the user to be in proximity with the limb, which is often difficult and may require the use of ladders or even specialized equipment such as the hydraulically operated "cherry-picker." Moreover, chain saws are expensive, relatively heavy, and more importantly are potentially dangerous, especially to the occasional user such as the average home-owner. Furthermore, chain saws are noisey and unsuitable for use in quiet areas typified by hospital zones and neighborhoods near rest homes. However, as early as the end of the nineteenth century there have been produced hand-powered chain-type, flexible-bladed saws. These saws generally consist of a series of saw blade segments loosely riveted together with a rope or chain fastened at each end. One end of the rope is placed over or around the limb to be removed and then pulled tight so that the saw blades are brought into contact with the wood. Each end of the rope is alternately pulled and the saw blades are intended to cut through the limb. These previously known hand-powered saws looked good on paper, but in practice did not perform up to expectations. One problem was that each back-and-forth stroke had to be in the same plane or else the saw blade would bind in the wood. Also, it was difficult to exert sufficient pressure on the saw while drawing it back and forth, i.e., the teeth merely rode across the wood surface and did not cut into it sufficiently or dug in so deeply that it was impossible to move the blade at all.